Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
We didn't need to be bringing too much attention to ourselves, but some shit just couldn't be avoided. There's no way I was leaving her here alone, not after the shit she'd told me had went down that had caused her to flee in the first place, with her neighbors being assholes and my guys were feeling protective because of the nature of our visit so they refused to leave me and that's how we all ended up at Tina's door.
I was happy to see that for all her gruffness on the phone and her berating of Kat because of our relationship, she was genuinely glad to see her daughter again, they embraced and laughed and cried as my crew and I looked on.
It remained to be seen how she was going to take the news that Angel wasn't staying the night, she'd spend the days there but at night she was coming with me.
I gave them some time to say their hellos before telling the guys to go on ahead and check in while I stayed with Kat. I'd planned to leave her for the few hours before bedtime but somehow I couldn't do it, something about being here where she'd been terrorized and her friend brutalized made me very fucking uneasy. I knew there was no real danger beyond the norm but I couldn't quite get myself to accept that so I stayed.
They went out on the patio while I stayed back in the house but in a strategic place where I could still keep an eye on her as I made some calls back home.
"Colton son how's the trip so far?"
"Everything's fine mom, how're things back there?"
"Smooth, smooth, Char and I had a nice chat with Marcus Grimaldi."
"What did that old reprobate want we already finalized everything a couple weeks ago."
"Yes well, seems he's taken a shine to your Kat, or Kat girl as he calls her, he came by to see her and as he puts it, give you a run for your money." She snickered.
"Whatever, anything else I need to know about?"
"Nah, Em have some orders you need to finalize when you get back but other than that things have been coming along just fine. The guys are doing their jobs which is as to be expected and Char and I are having a blast."
"Good to know mom, what about on the home front how's everyone doing, okay?"
"Couldn't be better son, there's just one thing, Char says she keeps having these weird dreams about coyotes and blood, you're not planning on camping in the desert are you son?"
Fucking Char.
"No mom, stop worrying she's probably seeing that shit because she knows we're in Arizona, there's nothing for you to worry about."
"Uh huh, anyway you be careful and come back in one piece with my new daughter."
"Yes ma'am listen, speaking of coming back in one piece Angel and I are bringing someone home with us, I need you to find suitable housing for him."
"Oh really, and who might that be?"
I told her the story of Cyrus which made her sigh and sing our praises until I begged her to cut that shit out, then she hit me with her brainstorm.
"Of courses I've got the perfect solution, he can stay in the estate, the old guest cottage is still there, no one uses it and I don't see why he can't just stay there instead of some stuffy apartment somewhere on his own, seems to me your Cyrus has gone it alone long enough, he needs to be around people who love him."
"Uh mom, you haven't met him yet."
"Son you just told me the man is living on the streets because he had to mortgage his home to get his wife health care, what's not to love sheesh, so it's settled then, Cyrus will stay with us at the estate you don't give it a second thought."
"Uh huh." Somehow I got the feeling her and katarina were going to have a tug of war over poor old Cyrus.
Whatever, as long as he had a roof over his head and food in his stomach I didn't care which one of them ended up with him, but I think I'd wait before telling Angel that mom was planning to take over where her new play pal was concerned, I had enough shit to deal with as it is.
I looked out the window in time to see Tina looking back at me and saying something.
Katarina peeped around her and gave me one of her shy smiles.
She better not be saying any of that outlandish shit to my girl that she liked to spew over the phone or I'll take her and head the fuck out, my baby didn't need any more pressure put on her and it was all bullshit anyway.
I'm a hundred percent fucking positive that no one was ever going to love her the way I did, no one was ever going to take care of her like me and that's all the fuck that matters.